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Imo-yokan (Sweet Potato Cake) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

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  • Tokyo Prefecture

    Imo-yokan (Sweet Potato Cake)

Imo-yokan (Sweet Potato Cake)

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  • Main lore areas

    Taio-Ku

  • Main ingredients used

    Sweet Potatoes

  • History/origin/related events

    "Imo-yokan", a sweet potato cake, is made by steaming, kneading, and molding sweet potatoes and other ingredients. It is a Japanese confectionery created by a sweet potato wholesaler and a confectionery craftsman in Asakusa during the Meiji Era. At that time, "kneaded yokan" (=a bar of sweet bean paste) was expensive and common people did not have many opportunities to eat it. The sweet potato wholesaler and confectioner devised a treat that could be used as a substitute for "kneaded yokan" using sweet potatoes, which were a readily available ingredient. "Imo-yokan", which was cheaper than "kneaded yokan", was welcomed as a Japanese confectionery familiar to the common people.

  • Opportunities and times of eating habits

    "Imo-yokan" is made year-round with sweet potatoes as the main ingredient and can be eaten as a snack. It can be purchased at Japanese confectionery shops, but is also a sweet that can easily be made at home.

  • How to eat

    Heat the peeled sweet potatoes to soften them, mash them well while they are still warm until there are no large chunks, and add sugar to make a paste. Cut off the part of the sweet potato close to the stem because it is hard and fibrous.

  • Efforts for Preservation and Succession

    (Outline of the people who have passed down the tradition, preservation society, utilization of SNS, modern efforts such as commercialization, etc.)
    "Imo-yokan" can be purchased year-round at Japanese confectionery stores nationwide. Recipes are also available on the Internet and social media, making it easy to cook at home.

RECIPE

Ingredients (4 servings)

  • Sweet potatoes 250g
  • Sugar 60g
  • Powdered kanten(=agar-agar) 2g
  • Water 120ml

How to cook

  • 1. Peel and slice sweet potatoes into 2cm-thick rounds and soak in water (not included in the ingredient list) to remove the scum.

  • 2. Boil sweet potatoes in plenty of water (not included in the ingredient list) until tender. Drain in a colander. Puree while still hot.

  • 3. Dissolve the kanten(=agar-agar) and water in a saucepan and add sugar.
    Dissolve thoroughly because it will not solidify if there are any particles left.

  • 4. Add 2 to 3, mix well, place in a container to chill and harden, and cut into bite-size pieces.

Recipes vary depending on the region and home.

Contact

Food Cultures Office, Overseas Market Development and Food Cultures Division, Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Tel:+81-3-3502-5516

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Address : 1-2-1,Kasumigaseki,Chiyoda-ku,Tokyo 100-8950,Japan.

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